Chapter 100

Silence fell over the cave, as if there had never been any commotion. However, the blood stains on the walls and the man's battered face hinted at what had just transpired here.

Leonardo used his dagger to cut the bag strap slung over the man's shoulder. As the dagger approached his face, the man inhaled sharply in fear, but he couldn't stop Leonardo from taking the bag. He had to keep his arms raised high, just as Leonardo had ordered.

Once the bag was fully in his grasp, Leonardo plopped down on the nearby ground and began closely examining its contents. 

Some of the minerals inside were large chunks, while others were clumped together in groups of two or three small pieces.

The fact that the minerals took these forms meant that the place they were found had an environment suitable for mineral formation. Therefore, searching the area around where these were discovered could potentially yield even more minerals.

However, despite finding this promising clue, Leonardo was not particularly pleased. Because for now, finding that location was impossible.

'I can't tell if that bastard is telling the truth or not.'

Leonardo, who had been intently scrutinizing the minerals with narrowed eyes, turned his gaze to the man.

The man's face was covered in scratches, bruises, and dried blood from his nose. Kneeling on the ground with his hands obediently raised, none of his earlier bravado could be found.

A few minutes ago, the man, who had been badly beaten, confessed that he had flowed into this place after hearing that the peninsula's minerals were valuable while looking for a money-making opportunity.

Since robbers who had entered the peninsula before the Council's Central Branch forces were being arrested one by one, it wouldn't be strange for there to be a few more of them.

However, when Leonardo asked where he found the minerals, the man insisted that he couldn't remember well, feigning ignorance.

Leonardo, who believed the man was lying, tried to threaten him a few more times, but the new squad member next to him stopped him, saying he would go to jail for assault if he hit him more here.

Leonardo was doubtful whether the man really didn't know or was pretending not to know. Even now, the way his raised arms were slowly lowering made it seem like he hadn't come to his senses despite being beaten so much, but the way he hurriedly raised them again when their eyes met didn't make it look like he had the guts to lie.

But setting that aside, even if there was more to be found, it was awkward to pry further at this point.

Leonardo needed to know how and to what extent the man knew about those blue minerals. If he had collaborators, what was their scale and what exactly was their purpose in coming here?

But all of that, no matter how clumsy, was not something to openly discuss in front of a Council member. Showing excessive interest could arouse strange suspicions.

'I should have found that bastard first...'

Leonardo's gaze, which had been on the man's bloodied face, shifted to the new squad member standing next to him. The Council's symbol badge fixed to his combat uniform shone particularly brightly, as if drawing attention.

As his gaze fell on his own chest, the new member made a puzzled expression. Leonardo, whose eyes met the member's, stared at him silently for a moment, then shook his head as if it was nothing. There were many things he wanted to ask the man, but now was not the time.

'Just in case.'

Leonardo, having organized his thoughts, reached deep into the bag again to check if there was anything else. Then suddenly, he felt something strange brush against his hand as he fumbled inside.

At the bizarre texture, his elegant eyebrows rose. Everything he had touched in the bag so far had been cold and bumpy, but the sensation at his fingertips now was clearly different.

The outside was smooth, rounded, and warm.

Instinctively sensing something was off, he immediately pulled out the unidentified object. Seeing it, the new squad member asked with wide eyes.

"Why is something like that... coming out of the bag?"

What came out of the bag was a whitish egg with a blue tint. It was larger than Leonardo's hand and looked very sturdy on the surface.

It was not a typical beast's egg that could be seen on the peninsula, and it was likely a monster's egg, but it was an egg that even Leonardo had never seen before, so it was difficult to specify exactly what kind of egg it was.

However, Leonardo was suddenly reminded of the Dermocas crawling and wriggling between the cliffs outside.

He immediately shoved the egg in the man's face and asked.

"What is this?"

At his question, the man hesitated for a long time with a noticeably flustered look. His behavior seemed as if he was pondering how to answer.

The man, who had been rolling his eyes back and forth, alternately staring at Leonardo and the egg he was holding, hurriedly opened his mouth when he saw the patience slowly disappearing from Leonardo's face.

"Ah, it's an egg."

Hearing the man's answer, the new squad member unconsciously glanced at Leonardo. It seemed like that answer would fuel his anger.

As expected, Leonardo's face was cold upon hearing the answer that came after much deliberation.

"Hey, do you think I'm an idiot?"

"Ye- yes?"

"I'm not asking if I know it's an egg, I'm asking what kind of egg it is and why you have it."

"Ah... I don't really know either..."

Leonardo was already on edge due to fatigue, and hearing that nonsensical answer made him feel his irritation rising. Judging that fists would be faster than words, he clenched his hand tightly and stood up from his spot.

Then, as if the man had instinctively sensed he was about to be hit, he crouched down as much as possible and assumed a posture perfect for being punched. Nevertheless, his mouth blabbered to save itself.

"I, I really don't know! I was just told to transport it, so I didn't even know it was in the bag!"

Leonardo, who had raised his fist, paused. Then the man covered his mouth as if he had spilled water, realizing his mistake. The new squad member, who had tried to stop Leonardo, also sensed something strange in the word that came out of the man's mouth and abruptly interjected.

"Transport? Then does that mean there is someone else who instructed you to do this, not alone?"

"..."

The man didn't continue speaking, but his pupils, unfocused and shaking, answered affirmatively in his stead.

Leonardo lowered his raised fist and stared intently at the man.

'I knew it.'

That bastard couldn't have been crazy enough to come here alone, notorious for being dangerous. Even Armsilver was required to move in pairs of two when dispatched to the Elder Millie Peninsula.

The amount of mana he sensed from the guy now wasn't that pathetic, but it was a level where he would struggle to just take care of himself on this peninsula. In other words, unless he came here to die, it was reasonable to think he had collaborators or colleagues, regardless of his purpose.

And if this guy was really a transporter, the yet-undiscovered collaborators could be moving in an organized manner to some extent, and the amount of minerals they possessed would be far greater than what was in this bag, given their numbers.

Leonardo swallowed the regretful thought that he should have found that bastard first when he was alone, and looked down at the egg in his hand.

He could understand smuggling the minerals since they were worth money, but it was truly a mystery what this egg was that they told him to transport it when it wasn't even a valuable mineral.

Moreover, there was a need to check whether the reason Dermocas were wandering around was related to this. It was just a guess, but if so, they might be able to find a shortcut to subjugating the peninsula.

Leonardo tapped on the surface of the egg, gauging its hardness. Then, as if giving one last chance, he shoved the egg in front of the man and asked again.

"Do you really not know what this is?"

"I swear on my life I know nothing because I only transported it."

The man raised his arms high and begged as if his hands and feet depended on it, but whenever asked a question, he repeated his ignorance with a bizarre conviction that bordered on arrogance.

Since he had already revealed that he had collaborators, it seemed he had changed tack to evading responsibility rather than hiding it. Suddenly thinking that, Leonardo wondered if perhaps even that mention of transport was deliberately deceived.

Leonardo looked at the man with an annoyed expression.

If he beat him a little more, it seemed like something might come out, but after the newbie mentioned assault charges and prison earlier, the guy seemed to have gained a strange belief that he would be hit less, his answers becoming more sluggish and his attitude changing.

But if you're going to lie, at least put some effort into it. How could someone who was waving around minerals claiming they were bombs know nothing at all?

"Yeah, you don't know either, right?"

But contrary to his true feelings, Leonardo replied as if he believed the man's words, and lightly tossed the egg in his hand up and down, as if playing with it. The man's gaze followed the precarious action nervously.

Seeing that gaze, Leonardo grabbed the egg he had thrown up. Then, with a nonchalant face, he raised it high and said.

"Then we'll have to find out."

The new squad member, realizing what he was trying to do, shouted in surprise.

"Mr. Blaine, wait a moment!"

The new member grabbed his arm to stop his action, but Leonardo didn't stop.

The egg had already left his hand, thrown to the ground.